Molophilus (Molophilus) creticola, Starý, Jaroslav, 2011

Starý, Jaroslav, 2011, Descriptions and records of the Palaearctic Molophilus Curtis (Diptera, Limoniidae), Zootaxa 2999, pp. 45-62 : 46-47

Molophilus (Molophilus) creticola sp. n.

Figures 1–3

Diagnosis. Medium-sized species within Molophilus . Body dark brown, suffused with dense greyish pruinosity, restrictedly patterned with yellow. Gonocoxite of male terminalia without dorsal and lateral lobe. Outer (dorsal) gonostylus shorter than inner (ventral) gonostylus, slender, glabrous, pointed at tip. Inner gonostylus much stouter, obtuse at apex. Wing length 3.7–5.8 mm.

Description. Male. Head. Antenna of moderate length, extending about to wing base, dark brown throughout. Flagellomeres generally ovoid to long-ovoid, with longest verticils slightly exceeding length of their respective segments.

Thorax dark brown, suffused with dense greyish pruinosity, restrictedly patterned with yellow. Prescutum and scutum dark greyish brown, with yellow area lateral to prescutal pit; scutal lobe yellowed anteromedially and posterolaterally. Scutellum mostly yellow, dark greyish brown anteriorly. Postscutellum dark greyish brown, narrowly yellowed laterally. Pleuron dark greyish brown, yellowed on dorsopleural membrane and basalare. Wing membrane infuscated; venation generally as for genus. Halter pale yellow throughout. Legs with coxae, trochanters and bases of femora yellowish brown, rest of legs darkened, brown to dark brown.

Abdomen dark brown. Male terminalia ( Figs 1–3 ) dark brown. Dorsal portion of gonocoxite rather short, without dorsal and lateral lobe, subquadrangular in lateral view, slightly narrowed distally, obliquely truncate at apex. Short, darkened, rounded tooth at posteroventral edge of gonocoxite, directed mesally. Lateral excision rather wide. Ventral lobe of gonocoxite generally short and stout, conical, with subacute tip, much shorter than dorsal portion of gonocoxite. Both gonostyli mostly pale, only weakly pigmented distally. Outer gonostylus slender, glabrous, generally straight or slightly curved dorsally, pointed at tip, reaching to about three fourths length of inner gonostylus. The latter much stouter, exceeding ventral lobe by about two thirds its length, more or less straight, narrowing distally to obtuse apex. Aedeagus of moderate length and breadth, expanded before mid-length in lateral view and bent ventrally, then gradually tapered to slightly upturned tip. Aedeagal plate large, generally oval in ventral/ventrocaudal aspect, with short but comparatively stout, curved, blackened median spine.

Female resembling male in general appearance.

Material examined. Holotype 3: Greece, Crete, Khania Region, Kakopetros, brook, 23.v.2004 (J. Starý leg.) ( SMOC). Paratypes (35 3, 23 Ƥ): Greece: Crete: Khania Region: Kakopetros (400 m), 13.v.1979, 1 3, 1 Ƥ; Kotsifiana (500 m), 20.v.1977, 2 3, 1 Ƥ; Fassas valley W Chliaro (260–310 m), 18.–20.v. 1977, 1 3, 3 Ƥ (all H. Malicky leg.) (all ZFMK; in ethanol); Kakopetros, brook, 23.v.2004, 10 3, 4 Ƥ; Voukolies, brook, 23.v.2004, 1 3; Alikianos, Xekollimenos River, 14.v.2004, 3 Ƥ, 17.v.2004, 1 3; Prases, 2 km W, 21.v.2004, 8 3, 3 Ƥ; Prases, 4 km SW, 18.v.2004, 2 Ƥ, 21.v.2004, 2 3, 1 Ƥ; Samaria gorge, 14.v.2004, 1 3; Stilos, Kiliaris River, 13.v.2004, 5 3, 1 Ƥ; Episkopi, Petres River, 16.v.2004, 3 3, 4 Ƥ (all J. Starý leg.) ( JSO, SMOC).

Etymology. The compound name of this new species, creticola , refers to its occurrence in Crete; the final component of the name derives from the Latin incola (= the dweller, inhabitant). A noun in nominative singular, standing in apposition to the generic name.

Discussion. The male terminalia of this new species have the dorsal portion of the gonocoxite of generally simple structure, without the dorsal and lateral lobes, thus fitting in the group of species more or less closely related to M. (M.) undulatus Tonnoir in Goetghebuer & Tonnoir, 1920; most of them having been described relatively recently ( Caspers 1980, Mendl 1986, Savchenko 1986, Starý 1978, 1992, Starý & Freidberg 2007). Besides the body colouration and some less conspicuous external traits they differ from each other by various details of the male terminalia, the most indicative of these being the structure of the aedeagus and aedeagal plate ( Starý 1992). M. (M.) creticola sp. n. appears closest to M. (M.) cypricola sp. n. below, being practically identical with it externally. In M. (M.) creticola sp. n. the dorsal portion of the gonocoxite is shorter and somewhat narrowed distally (longer and parallel-sided in cypricola sp. n.), and the ventral lobe is broader at its base and more sharpened at its tip. The gonostyli of the two species differ in many traits: they are almost pale and generally shorter in M. (M.) creticola sp. n. (darkly pigmented in cypricola sp. n.), exhibiting further differences in shape. In addition, the outer gonostylus is glabrous in M. (M.) creticola sp. n., whereas it is microscopically setulose in M. (M.) cypricola sp. n., which appears to be a diagnostic difference. The aedeagal complex likewise shows differences, chiefly in the median spine of the aedeagal plate, which is distinctly shorter in M. (M.) creticola sp. n. (cf. Figs 1–3 and 4–6 ). For other details, see Discussion of M. (M.) cypricola sp. n.

Distribution. Greece (Crete).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Male terminalia. 1 – 3 — M. (M.) creticola sp. n. (paratype; Greece: Crete: Kakopetros), general view, lateral (1), aedeagal complex, lateral (2), and aedeagal plate, ventral (3). 4 – 6 — M. (M.) cypricola sp. n. (paratype; Cyprus: Kakopetria), general view, lateral (4), aedeagal complex, lateral (5), and aedeagal plate, ventral (6). Scale bar 0.5 mm. aed—aedeagus; aedpl—aedeagal plate; ig—inner gonostylus; le—lateral excision; og—outer gonostylus; vl—ventral lobe.